The Gospel According to Oprah
—OVERVIEW
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(Marcia Z. Nelson, Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2005, 106 pages)
Coming rather late in the game in terms of the “Gospel According to…� genre (which has featured books on The Simpsons, Harry Potter, and Dr. Seuss, among others), one might expect The Gospel According to Oprah to fall into the “day late and a dollar short� category. Far from it. Seeking to discern the mystery of Oprah’s allure to millions of viewers and readers around the world, author Marcia Z. Nelson has written a taut little book that is bound to appeal to Oprah fans and foes alike.
The first thing that struck me about this book is how much it resembles Oprah’s show: Pleasant to look at, emotionally and intellectually engaging, conversational and yet not too familiar, nutritious and yet easily digestible, and just long enough to whet your appetite for her subject matter without making you long for a commercial break. Seeing as Nelson’s research involved watching Oprah’s show for one year, reading dozens of O magazines, and corresponding with fans via Oprah’s web site, it’s no surprise that her tone and format are so ideally suited to the Queen of Daytime’s fans. And yet, it is an achievement worth noting, seeing as few people have been able to emulate Oprah’s ability to give the people what they want. Perhaps it won’t be long before Oprah, herself, comes calling…[1]
The other thing that impressed me about this book is the clarity of Nelson’s thinking. Neither overly gushy nor overly critical and without wasting a word, she accurately—I think—discerns “ten reasons why Oprah is a compelling and successful spiritual teacher in spiritually eclectic and ever-practical America.� Some of these reasons include Oprah’s humanness, the way she provides community for her viewers, her ability to listen, her emphasis on generosity, gratitude, and forgiveness, and her ability to keep things simple. These ten reasons form the skeleton of Nelson’s book, with a brief, insightful chapter devoted to each.
Beyond simply explaining Oprah’s appeal, however, Nelson goes a step further by seeking to understand what function Oprah plays in society. Is she an entertainer? A preacher? A confessor? A self-help guru? A scam artist? All of the above? Also, what does her popularity mean? What does Oprah’s appeal say about her? What does it say about us? I won’t divulge all of Nelson’s answers to these questions, but I will say that she comes out with a decidedly positive verdict, and her reasons for doing so are definitely worth the read.
Love Oprah or hate her—Is there really another option?—I can guarantee you will enjoy this book. In fact, as was the case with me, you may discover that your opinion on Oprah reveals as much about yourself as it does about her, which merely proves Nelson’s fourth secret to Oprah’s appeal: Oprah encourages self-examination. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
[1] Which would be ironic, seeing as Oprah’s people would not allow Nelson access to her during the writing of this book.
—OVERVIEW
--Back to Book Index
--Back to Book Index
(Marcia Z. Nelson, Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2005, 106 pages)
Coming rather late in the game in terms of the “Gospel According to…� genre (which has featured books on The Simpsons, Harry Potter, and Dr. Seuss, among others), one might expect The Gospel According to Oprah to fall into the “day late and a dollar short� category. Far from it. Seeking to discern the mystery of Oprah’s allure to millions of viewers and readers around the world, author Marcia Z. Nelson has written a taut little book that is bound to appeal to Oprah fans and foes alike.The first thing that struck me about this book is how much it resembles Oprah’s show: Pleasant to look at, emotionally and intellectually engaging, conversational and yet not too familiar, nutritious and yet easily digestible, and just long enough to whet your appetite for her subject matter without making you long for a commercial break. Seeing as Nelson’s research involved watching Oprah’s show for one year, reading dozens of O magazines, and corresponding with fans via Oprah’s web site, it’s no surprise that her tone and format are so ideally suited to the Queen of Daytime’s fans. And yet, it is an achievement worth noting, seeing as few people have been able to emulate Oprah’s ability to give the people what they want. Perhaps it won’t be long before Oprah, herself, comes calling…[1]
The other thing that impressed me about this book is the clarity of Nelson’s thinking. Neither overly gushy nor overly critical and without wasting a word, she accurately—I think—discerns “ten reasons why Oprah is a compelling and successful spiritual teacher in spiritually eclectic and ever-practical America.� Some of these reasons include Oprah’s humanness, the way she provides community for her viewers, her ability to listen, her emphasis on generosity, gratitude, and forgiveness, and her ability to keep things simple. These ten reasons form the skeleton of Nelson’s book, with a brief, insightful chapter devoted to each.
Beyond simply explaining Oprah’s appeal, however, Nelson goes a step further by seeking to understand what function Oprah plays in society. Is she an entertainer? A preacher? A confessor? A self-help guru? A scam artist? All of the above? Also, what does her popularity mean? What does Oprah’s appeal say about her? What does it say about us? I won’t divulge all of Nelson’s answers to these questions, but I will say that she comes out with a decidedly positive verdict, and her reasons for doing so are definitely worth the read.
Love Oprah or hate her—Is there really another option?—I can guarantee you will enjoy this book. In fact, as was the case with me, you may discover that your opinion on Oprah reveals as much about yourself as it does about her, which merely proves Nelson’s fourth secret to Oprah’s appeal: Oprah encourages self-examination. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
[1] Which would be ironic, seeing as Oprah’s people would not allow Nelson access to her during the writing of this book.
—OVERVIEW
--Back to Book Index
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